Membrane overflow valve



July 13 1926.

ETZELT MEMBRANE OVERFLOW VALVE Filed April 14, 1925 HEINRICH ETZEL'I',OF DUSSELDORF, GERMANY ASSIGNOR TO THE FIRM DE LIMON FLUHME AND COMPANY,OF DUSSELDORF, GERMANY.

MEMBRANE OVERFLOW VALVE.

Applicatidh filed April 14, 1925, Serial No. 23,127, and in Germany June26. 1924.

My invention relates to membrane overflow valves such as are usuallyinserted between steam cylinders or other, machine parts to belubricated in which a variable.

pressure prevails, and an oil pump which supplies lubricating oil underpressure to the said parts.

Membrane overflow valves-of the kind indicated have the advantage overthe nonreturn or check valves containing a ball or a valve cone whereinthe pressure of the oil acts on one side and the steam pressure on theother, that the steam pressure and the oil pressure act jointly on thesame side of the shut off member. While in the case of valves of theformer kind the admission of oil to the steam cylinder only took placeat the time when there was a low steam pressure in the cylinder,theadmission of the oilto the steam cylinder in the case' of .themembrane overflow valvesalso takes place when the steam pressure is highand even takes place preferably at a high steam ressure.

Qne object o my invention is to provide a membrane overflow valve of'thekmd described whereinimpurities in the lubricant do not prevent themembrane from clos ing effectually.

, valves the ,oil presses at the outset only upon a very small part ofthe membrane which f parttto be lubrlcated.

corresponds to the cross sectional area 0 the oil duct. This pressuremust be suflicient to raise the membrane. After the raising of themembrane the oil pressure extends over the entire surface of themembrane and therefore presses thereon with a pressure which, incomparison with the initial pressure is increased in the ratio, of thearea of the membrane to the cross sectional area of the oil pipe. Thisenlargement of the pressure surface may lead to the overflowing of themembrane and to the breakage thereof. In the case of my improvedapparatus, owing to the fact that the oil presses at the outset upon alarger surface of the membrane, overloading of the latter is preventedor at least considerably diminished.

A third object of my invention is to provide a membrane overflow valvewherein a plurahty of springs support the membrane in such a manner thatthey come into ac tion one after another in proportion as the pressuresurface of the oil on the membrane increases and that in this manner, tothe increase in the oil pressure on the membrane there corresponds anincrease in the spring pressure supporting the membrane so thatoverloading of the membrane is prevented.

- In the drawings Figure 1 is a sectional elevation through thr:1 centreof my membrane overflow valve an Figure 2 is a view from above of theseat of the, membrane.

My improved overflow valve consists of a block 10 upon which is secured,by screw bolts 11 or other suitable means, a block 12. Between the twoblocks 10 and 12 a membrane 13 is tightly clamped. On the block 10 ascrew threaded connection 14 is provided at the side which is connectedin a suitable. manner with an oil pump which forces the lubricant at ahigh pressure in the direction of the arrow, into a duct 15 provided inthe block 10. On the block 10 is also provided a second screw threadedconnection 16 which is connected in a suitable manner with the machinepart to be lubricated. Through this connection is bored a duct 17. lheoil which enters through the duct 15 raises the membrane 13 and spreadsover the entire surface between-"the block 10 and the membrane 13 andthen flows through the duct 17 to the ridges 21, 22, and 23 and preventthe membrane from bearing thereon in a fluid-tight manner. If, however,im urities do temporarily settle on one or at er of the ridges, theseare washed into thenext one of the channels 18, 19 and 20 during thenext stroke of the pump and are thus gradually the groove 20.

removed. Even if the membrane is temporarily prevented, by suchcontaminations settling on one or other of the ridges, from bearing in afluidtight manner upon the said ridge it still makes an effectiveclosure on the other ridges in consequence of its elasticity.

The oil that enters through the duct immediately extends all round thegroove 18 and therefore presses against the membrane over the entirecross sectional area. of the said groove. The membrane can therefore bevery readily raised by the oil.

For the purpose of en porting the membrane springs 24, and 26 arerovided, the number of which preferab y corresponds to the number of thegrooves 18, 19 and 20. These springs are located in a cavity bored outof the block 12 and bear at one end against its upper wall and at theother end against concentric sleeves 27, 28 and 29 respectively whichbear upon the membrane 13. Preferably each of the annular concentricribs 21, 22 and 23 lies opposite to one of the concentric spring sleeves27 28 and 29.

The oil first enters, the annular ve 18. The spring 24 is so dimensionedt at when the 0' pressure in the groove 18 is normal it is raisedthereby. Since the membrane is resilient the springs 25 and 26 do notyet become operative. After the spring 24 is lifted the oil can flowover into. the ve 19. The spring 25 located opposite to the latter is sodimensioned that it is raised b the oil pressure in the groove 19. This011 pressure is the same as the oil pressure in the groove 18, but sincethe cros sectional area of the groove 19 is smaller than that of thegroove 18 the'spr'ing 25 must be correspondlngly weaker than the spring24. After the sprin 25 is raised the oil enters 0 spring 26 which in itsturn is weaker than the sprin 25 to correspond to the smaller area 0 thegroove 20, is now also lifted and the oil then flows into the passage17.

I do not limit myself to the details as in.- dicated in the'specification and drawing. The number of grooves or springs may be moreor less. It is also not necessary that the springs and spring sleeves bearran concentrically an be equal in number with the grooves.

\Vhat I claim is 1. membrane overflow valve, compris- 1ng 1n combinationa lower member, an upper member, a membrane clamped be tween saidmembers, and a resilient device adapted to press on said membrane, thelower member being formed with an admission duct and a discharge duct,and the upper surface of the lower member being formed with a pluralityof concentric grooves between a plurality of concentric lower memberwith the upper member, a

membrane between the upper member and the lower member, said lowermember being formed with ducts and having concentric channels in itsupper surface and concentric ridges between said channels, and the valvefurther comprising a plurality of resilient devices between the uppermember and the membrane, adapted to press the membrane against saidridges.

3. A membrane overflow valve comprising in combination a lower member,an upper member, means for connecting the lower member with the uppermember. a membrane between the upper member and the lower member, saidlower member being formed with ducts, and having concentric channels inits upper surface and concentric ridges between said channels, and alurality of concentrically arranged resihent devices between the uppermember and the membrane adapted to press the membrane against saidridges.

4. A membrane overflow valve, comprising in combination a lower member,an upper member, means for connecting the lower member with the .uppermember, a membrane between the upper member and the lower member, thelower member being formed with ducts, and having concentric channels inits upper surface and concentric ridges between said channels, and aplurality of concentrically arranged springs of difl'erent strengthsadapted to press the membrane against the ridges, and concentricallyarranged sleeves between said springs and the membrane.

5. A membrane overflow valve, comprising in combination a lower member,an upper member, means for connecting the lower member with the uppermember, a membrane between the upper member'and the lower member, saidlower member being ged formed with ducts and having concentric channelsin its upper surface and concentric ridges between said channels, andthe valve further comprising a plurality of resilient devices ofdifferent strengths between the .upper member and the membrane,

adapted to press the membrane against the different ridges withdifierent prewures.

6. A membrane overflow valve comprising in combination a lower member,an upper member, means for connecting the lower member with the uppermember, a membrane between the upper member and the lower member, saidlower member being formed with an admission duct and a dis chargeductpand the upper surface of the lower member being formed with aplurality of concentric grooves between a plurality of concentric ridgeswhich are adapted to bear against the membrane, one of the ductscommunicating with.the'outermost of said grooves and the other with thecentral space within the innermost ridge, and the valve furthercomprising a plurality of resilient devices between the upper member andthe m mbrane, adapted to press the membrane against said ridges.

' '7. A membrane overflow valve comprising in combination a lowervmember, an upper member, means for connecting the lower member with theupper member, a membrane between the upper member and the lower member,said lower member being formed with duct-s, and having concentricchannels in its upper surface and concentric ridges between saidchannels, and a plurality substantially equal of concentrically arrangedco-axial coil springs between the upper member and the membrane adaptedto press the membrane against saidridges.

8. A membrane overflow valve comprising in combination a lower member,an upper member, means for connecting the lower member with the uppermember, a membrane between the upper member and the lower member, saidlower member being .formed with ducts, and having concentric channels inits upper surface and concentric ridges between said channels, and aplurality of concentrically arranged co-axial coil springs abetween theupper member and the membrane adapted to press the membrane against saidridges, the several springs being in diameter to the several ridges andarranged co-axially therewith.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

HEINRICH ETZELT.

